like a shadow
by theangelofpizza
Summary: If you call Dean a stalker, he'll just deny it. He'll tell you that he's just investigating or researching or observing, or some other bullshit like that. Really, he's not a stalker. At least that's what he thinks. He just likes Castiel Novak very, very much.


**Warnings:** curse words, Game of Thrones references, not beta'd, OOCness, grammatical and typographical errors, inconsistent tenses

**Tumblr: ** theangelofpizza. tumblr post/ 88363026793/ like-a-shadow

**AO3: ** archiveofourown works/ 1764169

* * *

If you call Dean a stalker, he'll just deny it. He'll tell you that he's just investigating or researching or observing, or some other bullshit like that.

Sam thinks otherwise, because according to him, asking Ash and Charlie's help to get his crush's schedule is stalking.

He denied it, of course. He'll also deny that keeping the pencil his crush left in the library isn't stalker-ish.

Really, he's not a stalker. At least that's what he thinks. He just likes Castiel Novak very, very much.

* * *

Dean sits on a table in the cafe far enough to go unnoticed while 'observing' Castiel without obstructions. He also does this in the library, or at the park, or at the common room of their dorm. He does this whenever and wherever he can, and he does this stealthily, because after one year of 'observing' him, Castiel still doesn't know about Dean's existence.

Dean calls him 'Cas' in his head. It's shorter. And cute. Just like the face the names belong to. Not that he'll admit it though. Okay. Maybe he will.

* * *

"Just talk to him, Dean," his brother says over the phone, "You know his schedule, you're in the same dorm... how hard could that be?"

"Of course it's hard! If it wasn't, we would be dating by now!"

"Grow a pair, will you? You're graduating in a few months. Make your move before you regret it."

"Actually... I have thought of something."

"Really?" Sam says, "What is it?"

Dean tells him. He can hear his brother's exasperated tone when he told him of his plan.

"Jesus Christ Dean, just approach him like a normal guy," Sam said, "You're unbelievable."

"Try being in my shoes, jerk."

"You're such a bitch."

* * *

The day to execute his plan finally arrives. Dean goes to the library and waits for his target.

* * *

Castiel sits on his usual spot at the library. He puts on his reading glasses and begins leafing through _The Picture of Dorian Gray_.

He has always loved books. They were much better company than humans. He doesn't get humans. They're tricky, and he prefers to observe them from afar.

As a result, his brother Gabriel often tells him to go out there and have fun. And of course, he never heeds his advice.

His lack of predilection towards socialising resulted in a grand total of 0 friends and 0 acquaintances. The only people he know are his family, and while he knows other people due to his penchant for observing, he doesn't actually _know_ know them, and they don't know him either.

When someone came up to him claiming that he knows him, he was surprised. He swears up and down that he hasn't talked to someone with green eyes and light brown hair. He has seen him before along the halls, but he really never interacted with him before.

"Hey Cas," the stranger said. He seemed to be just passing by when he saw him, and as part of the social norms Castiel observed, the natural course of action is to greet someone back when they greet you.

He knows that he should greet the man back, but he doesn't know him.

But why does this stranger him? Why is he calling him 'Cas'? Castiel couldn't remember meeting him, let alone being close enough to earn a nickname.

He just stared at him in puzzlement.

"Nice seeing you here," the man said, smiling at him.

Castiel doesn't know what to do. He just nodded.

"Well, I better look for that book," the man said, "See you around, Cas!"

Castiel thinks that this whole thing was weird.

He swears that he doesn't know that man.

* * *

Dean leaned into one of the bookshelves. His heart was thumping fast, and he replays the whole thing in his mind to see if he screwed up somewhere.

His plan was this: He walks up to Castiel, pretends that he knows him, and walks off into the sunset. Brilliant, right?

No.

His brother said so. And Charlie and Benny and Jo. Why didn't he just talk to him and ask him out like a normal human being?

He peeks into the shelves and sees Castiel reading. He must have thought that Dean was some crazy kidnapper guy or something.

He bangs his head on the shelf.

Why was he so stupid?

* * *

"It's because you lost your pillar and stones somewhere, Winchester," Charlie told him over lunch.

"Pillar and stones?" Dean asked.

Charlie took a drink of her soda. "The Mountain and the Viper."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you watched it yet? It's the one where the Mountain and Oberyn—"

"Yeah, yeah, shut up. I haven't watched it yet."

"Seriously? What were you doing? Stalking your crush?"

"No!" Dean said, "Yes—I mean, no, but... Goddammit."

"Dean, just do as your brother says, okay? Just man up."

Dean sighs.

* * *

What happened to Castiel yesterday was weird, that's for sure, but during the remainder of the day, he has completely forgotten all about it.

That is, until the next day.

Their professor just dismissed them, and this kid in the class borrowed his pen, but forgot to return it.

He searched the crowd for the borrower—that lanky guy with dyed red hair. He saw him, and called his attention.

"Carlton!" he said. Carlton didn't show any signs of having heard his surname. Maybe it has something to do the headphones he was wearing.

He was walking away from him, so Castiel called him again.

"Carlton!" he said in a raised voice.

Why did he lend his pen again?

Carlton didn't slow down, so Castiel used a different tactic. He called him by his first name.

"Dean!"

And yes, he caught his attention, only that it wasn't the guy who borrowed his pen.

It was the man at the library from yesterday.

"Oh, hey, Cas," he said, "Whatcha doing here?"

All thoughts of his pen were forgotten as looked at the stranger grinning before him.

"...Dean?" he mumbled.

"Yeah," the guy said, "You still have classes or something?"

Castiel shook his head.

"Great! Wanna grab some coffee?"

Castiel nodded.

* * *

The first thing that Dean knows is that Professor Henriksen is awesome for dismissing them fifteen minutes earlier. The next thing he knows is that Castiel was calling his name.

Wait wait wait. That's not right. Castiel was calling his name? He's sure that Castiel doesn't know him, unless he did some research after yesterday's stupidity.

He's so damn screwed. He had no choice but to pretend that he actually knows him.

"Oh, hey, Cas," he said, "Whatcha doing here?"

He flashed a confident grin, even if he's mentally mutilating himself.

"...Dean?" Castiel said softly. He's clearly wondering about something.

"Yeah," Dean said, "You still have classes?"

Castiel shook his head.

"Great. Wanna grab some coffee?"

Castiel nodded.

Holyfuckingshit does Castiel know him after all this time? Why is he agreeing to the coffee? You don't go out for coffees with strangers!

_Fuck fuck fuck_ ran through Dean's mind. He's seriously screwed.

He does know a couple of things about him—okay, a lot. A lot of basi information. But he's not sure if it's enought to make a conversation or keep up the pretense of Dean knowing him.

* * *

Castiel was planning to write that paper once his classes are done, but somehow, he found himself having coffee with this guy named Dean. Yes, he sees him around the halls, but no, he doesn't know him, which makes things weirder since Dean seems to know him. He can't recall if he talked to Dean before, and given the list of people he talks to (or lack, thereof), a guy named Dean with green eyes isn't listed.

He wonders how will he make conversation with him.

Oh right, he doesn't know how to make conversation.

Remind him again why did he agree to a coffee with a man doesn't know?

* * *

"How's that paper going?" Dean asks.

Castiel wonders if they're in the same class because Dean knows about the paper, but he knows all of his classmates by face and Dean isn't one of them.

"It's fine," he answers.

Dean talks to him more about trivial things. He doesn't have any idea about why a man he doesn't know knows a lot of things about him.

* * *

_If he actually doesn't know me, he'll wonder why do I know things about him, and that would be an awkward situation_, Dean thinks.

But he talks to Castiel some more.

* * *

Charlie, Benny, and Jo decided to hang out for some coffee when their faces lit up upon seeing their friend Dean Winchester and his crush Castiel Novak talking on the same table.

"He retrieved his pillar and stones!" Charlie said.

"The Novak guy looks uneasy," Benny said.

"How about we approach them? Dean seems to be having fun," Jo said.

"Of course he's having fun. He's finally talking to the guy he's stalking," Charlie replied.

They approach the table. Benny claps Dean's shoulder and tells him, "I'm proud of you, brother."

"It's nice to meet you, Castiel," Jo said, "Dean's been stalking you for months."

"He even asked me and one of our friends to do computer magic and find your schedule," Charlie said.

They didn't notice Dean's horror-stricken face.

"I'm glad that Dean finally asked you out," Benny said, "But I will flay you if you hurt him."

* * *

_What the fuck are these guys doing here shit fuck shit_, Dean thought.

* * *

_What's going on?_ Castiel thought.

* * *

"Alright guys, shut up!" Dean told his friends, "Me and Cas are having a conversation here, in case you haven't noticed."

"Oh, right, we're sorry," Jo said, "Congratulations, Dean. We were really afraid that you'll never ask him out."

"Go away now!" he said.

"Okay!" the three replied.

* * *

Dean took a deep breath and looked at Castiel with a serious face.

"My name is Dean Winchester. I'm an engineering major, and I've been dying to talk to you for one year."

Castiel tilted his head. "That thing at the library...?"

"I know, I know. It was stupid. I don't know what was I thinking. How come you knew my name?"

"I didn't. I was calling the attention of my classmate named Dean Carlton."

"Oh..."

"Is it true? What they said about you... stalking me?"

"That's to crudely put things. I really like you, so I wanted to know things about you."

"Why didn't you just approach me?"

Dean was silent. He didn't have a good answer for that.

"My name is Castiel Novak, as you already probably know, I'm a literature major, and again, you probably already knew that, and I would love to go out with you."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please leave a feedback if you have time :)


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